


The Good, the Bad, and the Dirty.

by BottledWater



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Humanstuck, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 22:59:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6630514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottledWater/pseuds/BottledWater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat lives with his adopted father, Spades Slick his whole life, even when his parents separated. After living in the same apartment for eleven years it come as a surprise when his father decides they're moving. Now Karkat's being tossed into a new school and living with the woman who will soon be his step-mother. Leaving is hard, but being new is even worse, especially when no one's willing to give him the time of day. </p>
<p> Well, maybe not no one.<br/>-----<br/>Heyo so this is mostly just a self indulgent fic, I know I'm like 10 years late with cliche hs humanstucks but hey what can I say. This will have ships, and Karkat will get a bf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Good, the Bad, and the Dirty.

There wasn't a large amount of things Karkat had been scared of as a child. Of course there were the regular things, such as spiders or heights, but one thing that had scared him enough to make him break down in fat tears was the school bus. It was the worst possible fear, and as he got older he felt beyond stupid for being wary of something so asinine. Unfortunately for him though, he didn't get much of a choice in the matter, and so he faced the huge yellow menace with distaste year after year. There was no other option, no ride he could catch from his parents or brother (Kankri was kind of an asshole about these kind of things, even if he did have his license he sure as hell wouldn't provide a ride and Karkat wasn't even sure if he'd truly want one). When he'd first started going to school in his kindergarten year he'd looked up, seeing a huge metal contraption already full of rowdy kids and a middle aged woman that looked none too pleased with the arrival of a brand new school year. He'd taken a deep breath, just like his dad had told him too, and walked up the stairs and into the belly of the beast. 

There were children of all ages, with sticky hands and snot dribbling from their mouths like they were actually secretly part slug. He could remember the distaste he'd had, but more overwhelming had been the fear. Many of the kids were older then him, the oldest of the bunch even holding themselves with a pride and arrogance that shone in their eyes like they had a goddamn purple heart. Among them Karkat was one of the youngest, and since he was living in an ever so extravagant apartment it meant that he'd been behind a good 10 or so other children, and now the bus was almost full. They were the last stop, and it was pretty obvious, only making the little kid hate his home just that much more for leaving him in this situation. Even betrayal had stung at him, mocking him that his dad had barely watched him board the bus before turning and heading back home. This was a ritual of sorts, and for the next couple weeks he was walked to the bus and the second it arrived the man turned heel, not wanting to waste more time then he truly had to. So he left his son standing in the middle of the aisle, with no other option then to walk forward. 

His shoes felt ten pounds heavier on him, tempting him to drag his feet, but he knew better then to do so. Tiny hands gripped at his backpack straps, and his wide eyes shone with fear under hair that was twice as big as it had any right to be. Karkat didn't cry despite wanting to, because he knew better, because his father had told him better. Crying made people think you were weak, it was embarrassing, and when his father caught him with watery eyes he always sighed as if put out. Sometimes he would ask what's wrong, maybe try to fix it, and other times he'd awkwardly patted his adopted son on the back before shuffling off. If Slick had been there with him he most definitely would have scolded Karkat, because not even halfway through the bus he broke down in tears. They came quickly and spilled down his cheeks quickly, dripping from his chin and leaving damp droplets on his shirt. He was terrified, he didn't know anyone and he sure as hell didn't know where to sit. Who would want to sit next to him, especially now considering he was practically having a meltdown. 

The bus driver looked into the mirror above her seat as if she was just so incredibly over everything. No doubt she'd dealt with twenty other kids crying as they boarded the bus for their first day of school, whether for the first time in their life or just for a new year. Karkat can still remember what she looked like to this day, with her brown hair and gray roots, always judging him with a bored expression. She'd opened her mouth, warning him to sit down and he'd blubbered for a minute before replying in a high squeak that he didn't know where to sit. He'd been turned around at this point, facing the front of the bus like he was debating bolting and running down the aisle and out the door. That wasn't an option of course, the door was already closed, his dad had already left. The feeling of being completely and utterly alone swallowed him, but before the bus driver could respond Karkat was pulled from the side. 

Well, it hadn't been a rough pull, more like he was just being lightly tugged by his shirt and happened to be small enough that it sent him off balanced. He shuffled to catch his footing before blinking at the source of the tug. Like a deer in headlights he observed a girl who might have been the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. She was older then him, maybe in first or second grade, with the same round face that all kids had. Still, the stranger had hair that he was sure was the same color as rich milk chocolate, with skin only a few shades lighter. Her nose was a bit bigger then most of the other kid's, and she wore a beautiful jade colored dress. Overall, the girl looked like she should be ignoring him rather then inviting him closer. That's what he realized, after a minute of staring. Her backpack was in her lap, decorated with cute little flowers and she even had a fake one clipped to her hair. The spot next to her was empty, and it was his if he so chose to take it. Of course he did, because not a second later the bus had lurched forward, leaving him pressed against the seat before he caught himself. 

Karkat sat forward, moving to take off his own backpack and hold it to his chest like his life depended on it. For now it would act as a security blanket of sorts, protecting his chest as it ached because surely it was his most vulnerable spot right about now. The only thing that could drag the little boy from his own thoughts was the voice that belong to his savior, the girl next to him. Now, at this age Karkat knew nothing of cooties, and all that other jazz, but even if he did he wouldn't care. The way she spoke was so light, but there was something seasoned about her. It was like she'd dealt with this exact situation a million times in her extremely short life. There was no way she could have, so maybe it was just the confidence in her voice as she introduced herself to Karkat, even holding out one hand and waiting eagerly for him to take it. 

That was how he'd met Kanaya Maryam, and for the next eleven years she mothered him like no one had really done before. Of course, maybe he was exaggerating a bit, she didn't baby him or anything but she did make sure that he wasn't wasting away. He was a junior in highschool now, and Kanaya was a grade ahead of him and still possibly the most beautiful woman he's ever seen in his measly sixteen years of life. She'd grown obviously, becoming tall and slender and beautiful in a way that you'd expect of a queen. She had light curves with hair that was cropped close to her face but in the most flattering possible way. It left him breathless sometimes, wondering how he could be so close to someone so above him. Unfortunately though he would no longer be able to see his friend, whom had become something akin to a sister of a mother, just about every day because Karkat's family had moved.

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't write much, but I want to? Let me know what you think! I could use some feedback. This isn't beta'd either!


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